In Alabama, every foster parent should be ensured certain rights. The State has an interest, the community has an interest, and most importantly the children have an interest in making sure that foster parents are treated with dignity. Some of those rights are enshrined in the Foster Parent Bill of Rights, Ala. Code § 38-12A-2.
As to court proceedings, specifically:
- Ala. Code § 38-12A-2(14) states that foster parents have “[t]he right to notice and an opportunity to be heard.”
- Similarly, Ala. Code § 12-15-307 provides foster parents with the right to be heard “in any juvenile court proceeding being held with respect to a child in their care.”
- And Ala. R. Juv. P. 13(d) provides that notice must be given to foster parents of the date, time, and place of such a proceeding.
If you are a foster parent and you are not being afforded these basic rights in court proceedings, it’s not good sign. In order to protect the child in your care, you will likely need to consider intervention – otherwise known as the process of asking the court to be made a party to the case.
For Inquiring Minds, Relatives Don’t Have to Be Parties to Receive Custody
